


Beneath the Waves

by Dream_Wreaver



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Little Mermaid AU, Mer-may AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-05-02 18:57:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14551236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Wreaver/pseuds/Dream_Wreaver
Summary: Nathalie cannot stand what has happened to her, so she seeks solace in the only home she's ever known, the sea.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Finally something for Mer-May Woo!

How in Neptune’s name did she end up in this situation? Nathalie was known as one of the most preeminent court advisors, able to keep track of histories without the use of the scrolls and tablets of old. She had once been in charge of the royal library, the archives, nearly everything in the kingdom not important enough to be dealt with by King Thomas and Queen Sabine had been under her jurisdiction. And yet, then their majesties had felt it best if she were demoted to a glorified babysitter. Their headstrong teenage daughter always swimming about with her head in the clouds. Princess Marinette adored the surface world, and despite Nathalie’s advice on her needing constant supervision to keep her out of trouble, their majesties had selected  _ her _ for the duty, redelegating all her duties onto a committee of several other merpeople. And now, instead of helping to make sure the kingdom was running smoothly, she had to keep track of a rebellious royal.

On one hand, sure, Nathalie could understand the concern. Time had not washed away the wounds of the merpeople once being hunted as trophies by the humans above. And additionally, as short as only eighteen years ago, only slightly older than the princess herself, King Thomas’ former intended, Princess Emilie of the Selkie kingdom, had been kidnapped above and only just now returned. But she was a broken woman. Rumors had swirled that she swam about listlessly, staring at the glimmering surface forlorn and sorrowful. It was heartbreaking to hear of, let alone witness. Naturally Tom and Sabine only wanted to keep their daughter safe.

And for a bit, while her preoccupation with the human world seemed a bit off putting it was mostly harmless. She collected objects from sunken ships. It was weird, certainly, but it wasn’t detrimental to anyone or herself. The trips to the surface had mostly been put to an end. But then, that night. That night. Marinette had been drawn by bursts of color up above and found a ship. With a human prince aboard it. And when a storm had struck his vessel down Marinette has saved him, and fallen in love.

So much so that she had gone to Volpina the sea witch to get legs and join him. Volpina had made a deal with Marinette her voice for three days on the land, and if she should fail, Marinette would belong to her. The princess of the kingdom was a valuable commodity, one that Volpina would never give up for anything less than an equal exchange. And everyone whispered that those who made the deal with the sea witch were set up for failure. But when Nathalie had swam in and intervened, she had gotten mixed up in it too.

She had lost her voice, her tail, and her home. Humans couldn’t breathe underwater. The gills just under her jawline had been magically sealed, and neither she nor Marinette had been able to work their new limbs very well. Thankfully, Marinette’s friend Alya -who had tried but apparently not hard enough to stop the princess- had been nearby and hurriedly towed them up to the air. They had burst through and dragged in ragged mouthfuls of oxygen, bracing themselves against the soft sand in the shallower waters along the shore’s edge.

Of course, the very prince that Marinette had been mooning over had happened to be the one to find them. Marinette had managed to find some old canvas sails to cover herself. Nathalie had merely ducked behind a rock. But it hadn’t stopped there. When Prince Adrien had started escorting Marinette to his castle back they had been interrupted, by his own father no less. The King had seemed less than impressed at this appearance of a random shipwrecked girl, but had conceded to allow her to stay with them. Nathalie had had no choice but to reveal herself at that point. Splashing through the surf trying to stop them. The King had taken one look at her, and then questioned Marinette. Of course, given that the princess couldn’t speak, it hadn’t been any use. But once again, the Prince had come to their aid, and managed to extend her an invitation too. The king had shrugged off his jacket and allowed Nathalie to use it, claiming she couldn’t be seen in his kingdom the way she was, which was completely bare.

Considering how cold Nathalie felt now, how cold the water felt to her skin, she was happy to take it. But as she managed to stumble out of the water something strange had occurred. The moment her foot touched the dry sand the most indescribable pain enveloped her, shooting up her leg and causing her to fall. Within her head she heard the sea witch laughing. Not only had she taken her voice, Volpina had explained, she’d made it so it was near impossible for Nathalie to meddle. Because, every step she took from the sea would feel like a thousand blades piercing her flesh. Nathalie couldn’t move, the pain was so intense. She’d had to be carried into the palace, like a helpless infant. It was demeaning, it was degrading, it was...

What led to now. The end of the second day. Marinette and Adrien had gone out on a tour of the kingdom. Alya as well as Marinette’s fish familiar, Tikki, were keeping tabs on things. But Nathalie hadn’t wanted to see the sights, that meant walking. Everyone had to carry her everywhere. It was so humiliating. The king, Gabriel, she found his name was, mostly ignored her. At least until he’d caught her organizing documents in his office. She’d been practicing a new form of movement which didn’t involve her feet. The humans called it crawling. He’d let her continue to organize and remarked that if she was this capable why was she a ladies’ maid? Nathalie hadn’t been able to answer. There was, however, one thing in the room he’d refused to allow her to touch. It was a covered portrait, the features of what lay beneath obscured by the curtain. When she’d gotten near it, he’d picked her up and dropped her outside the door, locking himself behind it.

And now here she was, staring longingly out at the sea. She missed her home, she missed her tail, she missed her voice. While not as pristine or beautiful as the princess’ Nathalie had always enjoyed a tune to make the work go along faster. But now even the simple joy of humming had been ripped from her. And she was homesick. She missed the surf, the waves, the beauty of the world below. The world she’d been forced to leave behind. Nathalie sank to the floor, more determined than ever to get back to the water. It was incredibly difficult, considering that not only did she have to crawl to get there in the middle of the night, but she also didn’t know her way around. It was late, so late when she finally managed to make it to the shore. Adrien had brought back Marinette and was helping get her to bed. They were both soaking wet, as though they’d taken an unexpected dip during their outing. Nathalie had had to hide, she was too prideful to take more assistance than had already been given her.

But at last she had done it. The comforting call of the sea was louder than ever. Because the royals had been nice enough to give her the clothes she was wearing Nathalie didn’t want to get them wet, especially not since she was expected to sleep in them. Bad enough she’d had to get them sandy while going out to the shore. Carefully she hoisted herself to sit on a rock and then removed the garments and let loose her hair from the (as the humans called it) plait it had been put in. the water lapped at the shore, and Nathalie dipped her feet into the soothing waters. It felt good, it felt like home. She stood and waded just far enough to dive. And then that was exactly what she did. Living in the sea all her life she knew how to recognize the types of currents. Nathalie had no doubts she would be fine. Especially with the light of the full moon shining so brightly on the water. It made everything glow, basking it in its pale luminescence. Nathalie felt free again. If only it could last. Volpina didn’t state what might happen to her should Marinette succeed. Would she return to her true form? Or would she be stuck a human forever? And how would their majesties find out? What would they say if they did?

When at last her lungs burned for air Nathalie kicked for the surface and gulped it in. suddenly she realized that while she had been enjoying the sensation of the water again a fog had started to roll in. Not even mermaids dare swim when there was a fog up above. That was when the creatures of the deep swam up from their pitch to hunt for food above. Nathalie paddled and kicked for the shoreline. When she hit the sloping sand that receded back to the palace she began walking. Her legs ached from the strain, not used to this taxation on the muscles. Which was odd, considering that the magic had merely separated her tail into legs, and not necessarily created anything new.

It was as she was walking through, rising from the water like the untamable creature she was she noticed she was no longer alone. King Gabriel was there, and he was looking at her like a man transfixed. Nathalie had half a mind to cover herself, she knew she wasn’t supposed to be seen like this, least of all by the rule whose hospitality she was reluctantly enjoying. Still, his stare was enough to stop her in her tracks, leaving her standing as the water rolled in around her. She wanted to speak, wanted to ask him what he was doing here, why he had followed her, but even though she opened her mouth, nothing came. Nothing  _ could _ come, Volpina had seen to that. Still, the king appeared hypnotized, and it certainly didn’t have anything to do with her.

“You,” he whispered hoarsely, as though unable to believe his eyes, “You look just as  _ she _ did, the night I met her.”

Nathalie wanted to ask who, but had to settle for cocking her head to the side with a look of confusion. Thankfully, he appeared to be very good at understanding language that wasn’t spoken.

“My, my wife, Emilie,” the name escaped him like a broken prayer. A sacred word that was tainted by his very uttering of it. It sounded like a god, and not a mortal woman. Still, something about it struck Nathalie beyond the king’s apparent emotion for the human who had likely died.

The wind stirred her hair as the fog continued to roll inland from off the waters. Nathalie stepped closer, intending to retrieve her clothes and return to her room. She hated to leave the water, but humans didn’t live in the sea. And unfortunately, she was human right now. It was as she went to put on the nightdress she’d been given that he stopped her. He looked frantic, almost crazed.

“Please,” he was near begging, “Has she returned to that world? Is she safe? Is she alive? Can you take her to me?”

The more he spoke the less sense he made. Nathalie blinked once, twice, three times waiting for clarification. He said nothing more. Nathalie put the gown back on and made to leave.

The king’s hands were on her shoulders, “I know what you are, do I need to take your pelt too?”

Pelt? What was he talking about? Was that what humans thought mermaids had nowadays? They had pelts? Wait, pelts, the only sea creatures that had pelts were… Selkies. The princess of which was named…

“Emilie,” Gabriel repeated, “My wife, she was one of you. I built this palace for her, so she could be near the sea which she loved so much. She’s gone, tell me where she is!”

Nathalie shook her head brokenly, unable to convey that she had no clue where the selkie kingdom even was. So essential to the mer-court was she that she had never wandered outside its borders for anything. At least until now.

“I find it hard to believe that two other selkies show up out of the blue and don’t know where my wife is,” Gabriel nearly snarled at her, “You know where she is, now tell me.”

Nathalie wanted to scream, she even opened her mouth. But nothing came. She clutched her throat forlornly, hating that the sea-witch had taken everything from her.

“So, you can’t speak?” Gabriel raised an eye at her, obviously unimpressed, or unbelieving, “Can you write?”

Nathalie nodded.

“Good,” he grabbed hold of her wrist and began to tug her along, “Then we’ll talk that way.”

The moment her foot touched dry land the pain began anew. This time it actually felt worse than it had before. Nathalie collapsed immediately, unable to go on. The water washed over the injured foot, soothing away the pain only her home truly could. The King took one look at her and then scooped her up in a repeat of the previous day. He carried her to his study, and set some parchment and a quill before her.

“You have the ability, now tell me,” Gabriel demanded, “Where is my wife.”

‘To be sure,’ Nathalie wrote, ‘What did your wife look like?’

“She was a selkie, like you!” Gabriel sneered, “How could you not know what she looks like?”

‘Believe it or not,’ Nathalie wrote back, ‘There is more than a small group of selkies. Be that as it may, I am not a selkie. I don’t even know where the selkie kingdom is.’

“Then what are you?” Gabriel braced his hands atop his desk.

‘A human,’ Nathalie scritched, ‘What else would I be?’

“You say you’re not a selkie, and I seriously doubt you would have been so careless as to leave your pelt lying around, as fastidious as you are, but no human is able to take to the water with such ease and grace. None except my son, and clearly you’ve already figured out he’s not entirely human.”

‘Sailors can take to the water with ease,’ Nathalie reminded him.

“Fine, let me rephrase, no human  _ woman _ can take to the water like you did.” Gabriel rolled his eyes in exasperation, “Yet, you don’t have a pelt, you can’t speak, and it pains you to set foot on land. So you can’t be a selkie either.”

‘You’re right,’ Nathalie wrote, ‘I’m not a selkie.’

“Then what are you? And the girl for that matter,”

‘Princess Marinette’

“Wait,  _ princess _ ?” Gabriel looked incredulous, “That clumsy girl is a princess?”

Nathalie nodded, ‘The only daughter of his Majesty King Tom and his Queen Sabine. Though’ and here she paused, should she tell him?

“So the girl’s a princess, of what kingdom?”

Nathalie dipped the quill in the ink and then hesitated, a drop splattered onto the page.

“Well? Out with it.”

‘Of the kingdom of Aquaris, King Tom is the ruler of the merpeople.’

“Merpeople,” Gabriel breathed, “You, you and that girl are mermaids?”

Nathalie nodded, ‘The princess fell in love with your son and asked for legs from the sea witch in exchange for her voice but-’ and then when she tried to talk about the deal, her hand suddenly began to scribble all over the page. Apparently, while Nathalie would be able to write to communicate, she still wouldn’t be able to interfere with the arrangement on Marinette’s behalf.

“What happened?” Gabriel asked, picking up the ruined piece of parchment and staring at it in bewilderment.

Nathalie sighed and began writing on a clean piece, ‘I got wrapped up in the deal, and now I’m cursed.’

“Ah, so that’s why you can’t speak.”

‘And have legs, which I can’t even walk on without being in pain.’

“What can you tell me about my wife?” Gabriel asked, “If you don’t know where the Selkie kingdom is, then at least…”

‘I don’t know much,’ Nathalie wrote, ‘Only that she had been kidnapped and missing for eighteen years and has only a year ago returned. But she is broken, it is said that she stares at the surface of the water for hours, as if looking for something. Of course, your little stunt cost us an important alliance with the kingdom I’ll have you know.’

“How so?”

‘She was King Thomas’ intended bride. She had been in the middle of a preparational ritual for the wedding when you stole her.’

“I-” he looked like he wanted to argue but couldn’t, “I couldn’t help myself. She was so beautiful, emerging from the see like Venus herself. I thought I had met a goddess. And I thought she was happy with me. She agreed to marry me after all.”

‘I have no doubt that she did,’ Nathalie wrote carefully, not wanting to hurt him further than he had already hurt himself, ‘But, a selkie can never go without being in the sea. By keeping her from it, you were killing her. She was near death as it was by the time her kingdom found her.’

“I, I didn’t know.”

‘Did you ever ask?’ Nathalie wrote with a pointed look, ‘Or did you no longer care now that she was in your possession?’

“I loved her,” Gabriel hissed at her, “Something you clearly have never experienced or else you would understand.”

‘I understand that love is not keeping someone in a cage. Love is doing what is best for them. And from the way you’re acting you never had any intentions of returning her pelt. She probably found it on her own and ran while she had the chance. Am I wrong?’

He didn’t answer, which meant she was right. Nathalie sighed, ‘For what it’s worth, you aren’t bad. You let your son near the sea, do you not?’

“Only because I grew tired of keeping him from it, Adrien was raised on the sea,” Gabriel sighed, “And maybe, I hope Emilie will come back to me. But if being home isn’t fixing her, what will?”

‘She’s been caught between two worlds, and now she belongs in neither. It is the same for your son.’

“Which is why I never liked letting him out on the open water. The worry that he might never come back still haunts me. That storm, he told me that a girl had saved him. That she had been singing to him, was that the girl?”

‘That was the princess,’ Nathalie nodded.

“He said he wanted to find that girl one day and marry her,” Gabriel shook his head, “What am I going to do?”

Nathalie had nothing she could write in response to that. She didn’t have the answers to a problem like this. She had her own to deal with. Marinette had only one more day to get true love’s kiss from the prince. And while he seemed to be in love with her, it still left a lot of time for things to go wrong. But the hour was late, and Nathalie felt the exhaustion in her bones. Apparently the king noticed this.

“It’s late,” he said, “Let’s get you to bed.”

He picked her back up and carried her to her rooms. But as he was settling her beneath the covers Nathalie heard something from the open door where the balcony was. A voice, a beautiful, melodious voice singing a wordless melody. But that wasn’t what made Nathalie pause. It sounded familiar, too familiar. Was the voice,  _ Marinette’s _ ?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... a slightly different version of this has been sitting in my folder for a while, so I thought, might as well post it. This is purely a Gabenath chapter, though I do touch on what happened with Marinette and Adrien. Maybe if I ever get the motivation, I'll write the whole story. But for now, here we are. Enjoy!

When she’d first been turned -or as she had liked to think of it, first gotten  _ cursed _ \- Nathalie had seen no benefit to being human. She couldn’t explore the depths of the ocean and see all the wonders it possessed, she couldn’t swim with her legs as fast as she had with her tail, she couldn’t even let herself be at home in her skin. Humans were so uptight about that. Every little thing had to be covered, and apparently one’s hair didn’t count. Nathalie enjoyed organization, enjoyed calming the waves of panic with a smooth and sure hand. And being diplomat to the human world where their princess had decided to make her home certainly presented its own unique challenge. The cultural disagreements, the need to facilitate treaties, the revelation of the many other mythical creatures. The negotiations of treaties and trade agreements. She had gotten to know the King and Prince well, the laws of the human land a lot better. 

Of course, the transition was never easy. King Thomas had had graciously given her (as well as Marinette and her new husband Prince Adrien) the ability to walk between the worlds like few others could. They could share in the sun or the sea. And it was wonderful. Of course, there was one who could not share in the happiness that surrounded him like a comforting wave. The King, Adrien’s Father. But then, he had the live with the ramifications of his actions so many years ago. He had stolen King Thomas’ intended. And she had returned a broken creature. Utterly torn between the two worlds, knowing she could never go back to one, and knowing because of it her heart would never truly belong to the other. Over time, as Adrien came to visit his mother, now Queen of the Selkies, she regained her legendary radiance. Her son healed her, being able to share in her world with her. It was as Nathalie observed this that she began to form a plan.

It had taken a great deal of convincing on Adrien’s part. Not only was it bad enough that he’d had to swallow the news of his own mother being oceanic royalty, but along with it he’d had to learn the horrible truth about his parents marriage. That it had only happened because Gabriel couldn’t trust Emilie to come back. And so he’d done something unforgivable. He’d stolen his wife’s pelt and kept it hidden for years, likely with the intention to hide it forever. It was unforgivable, and inexcusable. But Nathalie felt that never seeing each other again wasn’t the best course of action either. Eventually, Adrien had agreed.

On yet another scheduled visit to the Selkie kingdom Gabriel came as he always did to see the young couple off. Nathalie, able to memorize a journey after a single trip, was there to act as guide and guard. But today was different. Nathalie thought of the legs she’d once been cursed to have and they appeared. She strolled out of the water, completely bare but for her unbound hair that clung to her like a second skin. It scanalized onlookers, which was why they were no longer allowed to be in attendance. Rarely, however, did Nathalie leave the water while the other two waded in. But this time she did. She strode to the King, who had been, not content but at the very least comfortable to simply see them off -though the longing in his eyes was nearly naked as she it was so poorly disguised- and he watched her with surprise in those same orbs.

“Nathalie, what are you-”

She stopped him before he could finish asking, and took him by the hand. Returning to the shallows the tugged him along with her. When her toes touched the water she began to think of the sea, of home, of her true form. The magic did the rest, and shared itself with him. As they went further and further into the open water the King began to change. Much like his son had the first time this happened he wasn’t entirely sure of what to make of it. Nathalie kept ahold of him as the four dove further into the sea. On and on they swam, with Nathalie having to pick up the slack when Gabriel’s fins grew tired. Which they did, often and easily. But that was what happened when you had never had a tail before.

“I take it back,” Gabriel panted, getting used to the gills he’d grown under his jawline far faster than the tail.

“Take what back?” Nathalie asked.

“Every ungracious thing I thought about you the first time I saw you,”

“How generous,” was Nathalie’s sarcastic reply, “But, you haven’t known true pain until every time you flick your tail it feels like thousands of knife points plunging themselves into your flesh.”

“Just where are you taking me?” Gabriel asked.

“Someplace you’ve been long overdue to see,” Nathalie replied.

The splendor of the Selkie palace was something to behold. Even more so when you were a human and had never seen a castle naturally grown out of coral the way this palace was. All around them Selkies swam in their pelts, looking for all the world like ordinary seals. Except ordinary seals couldn’t survive in these depths, not for any length of time.

They were brought before the seal sitting in the throne. Bowing low, Nathalie gestured for Gabriel to do the same. The Queen of the Selkies acknowledged their presence. At least, she did until she made eye contact with the newest merman. And that was when he saw the unmistakable green eyes.

“Emilie?” he breathed.

The Selkie Queen swam upwards, towards the coveted air bubble they kept in the palace. A place to allow for negotiations. The problem with being a Selkie was that they could only speak the language of the Selkies. Something not even merpeople, who were known as the ocean’s polyglots, had cracked yet. The other four followed. Once ensconced inside, Emilie removed part of her pelt, but not all of it, and she kept a white-knuckled grip on it as she watched her former husband enter.

“Please-” she squeaked, before correcting herself and repeating in a more commanding tone, “Please leave us for a moment. We have much to discuss, it would seem.”

“As you wish, your majesty,” Nathalie bowed and swam away, taking Marinette and Adrien with her. But as she passed she hoped she was able to convey the message to the human King that she wanted to. ‘You have a chance to say what needs to be said, don’t mess it up now.’

“So…” Emilie began, letting themselves stew in the awkward silence that followed, “You finally found me.”

“I wouldn’t say found,” Gabriel replied, “I didn’t even know we were coming here. I didn’t even know  _ I _ was going. Usually it’s just Adrien on these trips, and he clearly he’s never told me everything he’s seen.”

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Emilie admitted.

“Thought? Or hoped?” Gabriel asked in reply.

“Gabriel,” Emilie sighed, “Why are you here?”

“I’m here because someone decided to meddle apparently.”

“That someone being?”

“An important diplomat that I unfortunately can’t discipline properly for this situation.”

“You mean Nathalie, don’t you?”

“How did you guess?”

“I’d heard tale that she’d been appointed ambassador to the world above. I never imagined it would be to you.”

“I’ve been taking a few steps back now that Adrien is married.”

“How different, you and he are,” Emilie remarked sadly, “He loves the sea, and you wanted nothing to do with it.”

“I was afraid I’d lose everything to it.”

“And didn’t you anyways?”

“Emilie,” Gabriel sighed, “Look I-”

“Gabriel don’t,” Emilie waved her hand, “I don’t want to hear anything from you. For years,  _ years _ , I was held prisoner. And then, I was a prisoner even with my freedom. Because I left behind the most precious treasure at all. But what could I do? I couldn’t go back for him. Because  _ you _ would be there.”

“Emilie please,”

“You stole my pelt once, can you honestly tell me that had I come back you would have let me go again? With Adrien?”

“No, not then,” Gabriel admitted. It was odd, seeing the woman he’d loved for so long and searched so hard for now within his reach. But he couldn’t take her, she wasn’t his to take anymore. And though it didn’t hurt, it was still a little bittersweet, “I’m not so sure about now.”

“Even if you’ve changed,” Emilie shook her head, “I can’t, I  _ can’t _ love you anymore. Loving you only hurt me.”

“I’m not asking you to love me again,” Gabriel told her, much as it pained him having loved her so long, “I’m- quite honestly,” she was one of the few people he could ever be vulnerable enough with for honesty, true unmaliced honesty, “I’m not even asking for forgiveness.”

“Then what are you asking for?” Emilie arched a brow at him, small frown thinning out her lips.

“For the chance to tell you how sorry I am.”

“For over a decade the guilt never ate you up inside while you kept me prisoner. Why would you ever apologize.”

“Nathalie, she told me what my actions did to you.”

“So it takes an outsider to make you see the error of your ways?” Emilie was mad, Emilie was furious, “And you have no idea,  _ none at all _ , what you did to me.” She hissed, “For years all I could find was the dry and fallow land when my heart only  _ longed _ to return to the sea. And then, you poured salt in my heartache by bringing me to that palace by the shore. It was torture, looking but never being able to touch. I was going mad, I was growing weak. The only thing that kept me going was Adrien. And do you know what? Adrien found the pelt. He returned my pelt to me. And I left, I had to. Because like it or not, he was born Human. I couldn’t take him with me and that  _ destroyed _ me inside. All I wanted for years was to come back home, and then to find out I left such a big part of me behind? And I couldn't ever go near your shores. I knew you were looking for me, and just when I think I’m safe you show up here. You claim you want to apologize, but all you want is me under your thumb again. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have you executed for your crimes against this kingdom?”

“I don’t want that. I don’t want any of it,” Gabriel replied, “I had my suspicions that Adrien had found you. Ever since Nathalie told me she knew where the Selkie kingdom was. But I never pressed, I felt I didn’t deserve to know. But you know what? I deserve this, and you deserve this. We both deserve the chance to move on, but we can’t do that if we keep running from the past. I said it didn’t I? I don’t expect your love or forgiveness. Even though I haven’t quite stopped loving you. But, if this whole experience has taught me anything, it’s that no good comes of my trying to control the people around me. You deserve to be happy Emilie, and you deserve to have the one who wronged you apologize. You don’t have to forgive me, you don’t even have to tolerate me, but you should at least let me say the words.”

“For all your talk of saying your apology, I have yet to actually see you do it,” her response was flat and unimpressed.”

Gabriel took a deep breath, “Emilie,” he began, “I’m sorry. For everything I did to you. For taking your pelt and hiding it, for coercing you into marrying me, for making you bear a child that you couldn’t take with you, for causing you so much pain, and most importantly, I’m sorry for lying. I’m sorry for controlling and manipulating everything so I could have you. But the one thing I’m not sorry for is that I fell in love with you.”

“You were never in love with  _ me  _ Gabriel,” Emilie smiled sadly, “You were in love with what I  _ was _ . And that’s a big difference. I appreciate the apology nonetheless. You were right, I needed to hear that. And for that reason, and the sake of our son, I will let you live. But please, if at all possible, never show your face to me again.”

“It’s a big ocean,” Gabriel replied, “And an even bigger world. All things considered though, I’ll do my best.”

“You said it was Nathalie who managed to bring you here?”

“Yes, why?”

“I heard she was cursed as a human when this all happened. Tell me, how on earth did she manage what you yourself, or even I, could not.”

“She couldn’t talk, because of the price she paid,” Gabriel answered, “I found her in the surf on the second night. Rising from the ocean’s depths like a goddess. Like you did the night I first saw you. I confronted her, angrily. She refused to back down. But even after I told her everything, she didn’t think me a monster. The monster I’ve now come to see I was, still am, probably.”

“At least you’re aware of it,” Emilie chuckled, “I’m surprised though.”

“About what?”

“Nathalie is one of the coldest fish in the sea,” Emilie replied, “She must really care for you if she was willing to put her neck on the line for this.”

“I don’t think she cares,”

“Her reputation is well known, she would never do anything that would purposely cause tension between my kingdom and hers. And yet, she did it. Has she gotten to know you during her duties.”

“Adrien does more of the actual management of the kingdom at the moment.”

“Whilst you stare, listless and lovelorn towards the sea, waiting for your mermaid to come back.”

“She’s not my mermaid,” Gabriel protested.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Emilie scoffed, “The only question is, how do you feel about her? Do you want to possess her like you did me?”

“I know she’d slap me and drown me in short order if I ever tried.”

“And do you dislike that?”

“Surprisingly, no,” Gabriel let out a mirthless chuckle, “You would think as a King I would demand respect and submission in all things.” he paused a moment, “Wait a minute, why are you helping me?”

“I hate what you did to me,” Emilie shrugged, “But there was a time when I did love you. Is it really so wrong to want you to be happy too?”

“It is considering all I put you through.”

“Besides, helping you realize your feelings is one thing. I’m not lifting a finger to help you act on them. And truthfully, a part of me is hoping you screw this up just like you always do.”

“How nice to know my wife always had faith in me.” Gabriel drawled dryly.

“How are we going to deal with that anyways?” Emilie asked, “Since your kingdom knows about life under the waves?”

“They know about mermaids, they do  _ not _ , however, know that Selkies exist or that you  _ are _ one. Or,  _ were _ one, as the story will be told.”

“Oh?”

“You never wish to come back with me, right?”

“I have my own kingdom to run, but even if I didn’t, the answer would be no.”

“Then so long as you can keep out of sight if some momentous occasion were to happen on the shore, we can have it spread that you were swept out to sea and perished. Sound fair?”

“More than,” Emilie agreed, “Take care of yourself Gabriel,”

“The same to you.”

They nodded and departed to where their companions awaited.

“So, were you able to get some closure?” Nathalie asked as she escorted him out of Emilie's palace.

“Much needed closure, thank you.”

“It must have worked better than I thought, if you’re remembering your manners,” she teased. Adrien and Marinette were swimming on ahead. The plan to visit her parents while in the sea.

“Nathalie, in all seriousness,” he stopped his motions (which he was finally getting the hang of) and caused her to stop too, “Thank you.”

She closed her eyes and let a smile spread over her face, “After helping stop that disaster wedding your son nearly had to a sea-witch, it was the least I could do.”

“I’ve heard stories that say otherwise.”

She looked at him, feigned confusion in her eyes. He caught her cheek in his hand and leaned in. Nathalie remained frozen. Out of every outcome, she hadn’t seen this one coming. His lips brushed against hers, light and evanescent. Unsure, almost. When he pulled back Nathalie felt herself following him.

And that caused a cocky smile to spread across his face, “Want more?”

Nathalie said nothing, and kissed him again. When they finally broke apart, Adrien and Marinette had disappeared into her childhood home. The safety of King Thomas’ domain. They didn’t need Nathalie any longer. Not until it was time to return to the shore.

“Nathalie, take me back,” Gabriel said.

After a kiss like that it wasn’t what Nathalie had expected him to say. But too stunned to respond she merely nodded and off they went again. The shoreline of his castle came into sight as the breached the foamy top of the sea. It was night, and the moon was high, casting its pale light on the water below. Much like the night he had discovered her secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make my day, thank you for any you leave. Until next time everyone

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like it? Did you hate it? Let me know and leave a comment. Until next time everyone


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